


Saying Goodbye

by shortling24



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-06 21:05:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12218946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortling24/pseuds/shortling24
Summary: Things weren't quite what everyone expected after Rose and Tentoo were left in Pete's World.Edited to fix what I missed in copying





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Saying goodbye is never an Easy thing, especially when you promised to stay forever.

Pete’s World  
Saying goodbye is never an easy thing, even if you did say forever. The Doctor knows this; he has been there so many times. Staying in Pete’s World with Rose had been a no brainer. Only one could stay with her, or take her and he had been the chosen one. For the last 40 years he and Rose had done so much. Worked at torchwood, grew a TARDIS and traveled the stars. They had learned so much too; Rose didn’t age, at least not much in the last 40 years, she maybe looked 23. He hadn’t aged in that sense either, still looking like the day that he was born from the hand. He was Rose’s Doctor and at first had always assumed that he won and this was always how it would be.  
He knew that if the other, “original” him had known about Rose he wouldn’t be here now, she would be safe in the right universe, with a man who would live a long time, not one that had been slowly dying. During the first few years in Pete’s World they had been so busy neither of them had noticed. They had Mum, Pete, and Tony. They had jobs, then the TARDIS. He slowly noticed about five years in that he needed more sleep than normal. He put it off as just another human condition he had to deal with, and then the pain came. He had hid it from Rose; he couldn’t tell her that the medicrisis didn’t work right, that there forever was short. He did tell her she wouldn’t age and that he should live as long as her, but that was before. 

Once the Doctor had realized the truth he started to make a plan to keep Rose safe and save her from a horrible painful end of her life. He had always known that she loved them both; him and the original, neither of them could have ever made her chose between them. He kept his pain and the fact he was dying hidden from Rose, he had promised never to leave her and he wanted her happy, so he would wait tell the time was right to tell her and let her go. He kept his pain at bay with the help of his Time Lord biology that helped with pain control. When it got worse the TARDIS and pain medications would help, most the time. If Rose ever asked it was normal, just a human thing. 

By year 15 in Pete’s world Rose started to get severe migraines. They could be usually dealt with without pain medication and the Doctor at first had assumed that it was part of the Bad Wolf that had changed her. After some testing on the TARDIS he realized that it was the universe, it had never actually compensated for Rose being there, over time it was going to kill her, though she would live a lot longer than him and not really be safe after he was gone. He decided to keep watch on the progress of his decline and Rose. He would need quite a while, even with the help of the TARDIS to calculate getting himself a message, getting the correct calculation on a transdimensional hole, and when exactly to get the message to the right Doctor. The worst and hardest thing for him was to figure out how and when to tell Rose. So he did what he normally did and he ran as fast and far as he could, for as long as he could.

In their first year they had many ups and downs. She had worried a lot that he would leave her; he felt sometimes that he was fighting a ghost, the ghost called his other self. The second year they had married, with Jackie and her big wedding. They worked for Torchwood and got a flat of their own. Her mother started pushing for children. The Doctor couldn’t give Rose that, even if he wanted to. Rose was quite happy with their life and the fact they were growing their own TARDIS and didn’t want children, she wanted it to be Rose and the Doctor in the TARDIS as it should be. By year 4 the TARDIS was ready to fly and off they went, learning about their new universe. They ran hand in hand through the galaxies getting in trouble, the bits in between. 

It was during the traveling that the Doctor had noticed the pain and needing more sleep. He put off finding out what it really was, he didn’t want to know. He did realize that Rose was not aging around the same time. Though he put off telling her about himself he told her about her changes. When he had learned about him and the originals mistake in thinking that nothing had happened with Bad Wolf he had been angry at both him and his other self. He took Rose’s hand and they ran. They ran from the truth until Rose started getting more and more headaches. They were easily controlled with medication for many years and the Doctor thought it was part of Bad Wolf and aging, another mistake he made, because he liked to run from the truth. 

When he had finally tested Rose after an accident, he then knew that she was slowly, very slowly dying. She would die because of this universe. He would save her at the cost of his heart, but he would not be living long after she left. One she would take his one heart with her, she was his reason for existing and living. Once she was gone, he wouldn’t want to live. At the rate of his cellular degeneration he would be dead in just a few weeks maybe a month or two with the help of the TARDIS.


	2. Chapter 2

In the end the decision had been made for them. The Doctor knew that the time to go was going to be soon, very soon. His body was starting to shut down. He did not want to leave her, not yet. Time and this universe could not be stopped, not even for happily ever after; even for a part Time Lord. This universe was hurting the one he loved, he couldn’t stop it, and he couldn’t save himself, but he could save her. After 40 years together it was time to stop running and face the music, the universe wanted them gone. 

Rose still had many years to go, though if she stayed her it would only be a few hundred, by that time Rose would be totally disabled and there would be no one to take care of her or help her. There was only one way to save her and he had been doing the calculations for years. They were now ready, he would send a message to his other self and have him come and save Rose. He knew the only way Rose would be okay, would have someone and never be alone was to send her back to her universe, to the other him and Jack. They would both be around long enough to keep her safe. He wanted to keep her safe, he wanted to love her. He hated this universe for what he had to do, he hated himself for never telling her, until it was going to happen.

He wasn’t worried about himself, he doubted the Doctor would take him too, besides he knew his time was nearer then he should have let it get to. He should have done this a few years ago when he had completed the calculations needed. He still wasn’t ready to say goodbye. He always hated goodbye, he hated letting go, he hated looking back. He was angry at himself, at the other him, at the fact that the medicrisis didn’t work right. He was angry he had to leave Rose. She had matured over the last 40 years and she would be more understanding then she had before. Yet he knew she would be hurt that he was leaving and angry for not telling her. He had made the best of the time they had together, trying to give her the best memories.

The medicrisis should have never happened, he had never been really stable not from the beginning. He had known within the first year that the living one life with Rose Tyler was not going to happen the way that they had wanted. He had pretended for Rose, anything to make her happy. He would do anything for his Rose. He was glad to have the years he did with her, to make her smile, to see her eyes light up when they were together. He gladly made memories that Rose could keep with her. He loved Rose and he knew the other him did too, he was sad to let her go to him, but he knew to survive she needed the other universe and the other Doctor. He had been angry for so long that he couldn’t stay with her, that he had to let her go back to the other him. He never thought he deserved her, but Rose needed saved. He had finally after years, learned to live with this fact. He had known so long, yet kept it bottled up. 

During their years together they had made it to be able to still be able to visit her parents but that it would take longer for them to notice the changes in her. Jackie, being Rose’s mum didn’t take long to notice that Rose was not aging. She pulled the Doctor aside one day and asked about it. He was as honest as he could be with her. He explained she would live a longer life with him. He didn’t tell her about himself, he hadn’t, or couldn’t tell Rose. He didn’t lie, he said he wouldn’t live as long as Rose and that he had a plan to eventually, many years from now send Rose back to the other universe, long after her and Pete were gone. He just didn’t tell her he wouldn’t live 50 years with Rose. Jackie started to cry, even though she would be gone, she hurt for the man she had come to love, their Doctor. She hugged him and promised not to tell Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

Today would be the day that the Doctor told Rose what was happening to him, and that he would be sending her away; he would have to let her go. The Doctor typed several things on the keyboard, recorded a message and pushed the final button. This was it there was no turning back, message sent. There was no doubt in his mind that the Doctor would come and save Rose, after all they started out the same man with the same feelings for Rose. He just had to wait for a message back. Now to do the hardest part, tell his Rose. 

This really wasn’t a good day for this, and if he didn’t know his time might run out before he could save her, he would wait. He had already left this too long. Just as the original him waited until the last minute to say, I love you, this him had waited until the last minute to say goodbye. But who liked goodbyes, especially for the woman that was the love of your lives. Today was the day before Jackie and Pete’s funeral. Rose had to say goodbye to her parents, she had been prepared for it. Jackie and Pete had a great life together with both Tony and Rose. They had died minutes apart, “As it should have been for us” Thought the Doctor to himself. Rose couldn’t go to the actual funeral, he had to tell her that, she had been upset but understood. Tony had set up a private viewing for her today. 

Then Doctor walked out of the TARDIS and toward the mortuary. He knew Rose would be coming out soon. The pain in his body got bad. He stopped and rested against the building, trying to hide how much pain he was in. He looked up at the sky, he wouldn’t be seeing this much more, and Rose could go to her regular safer universe. He wondered about an afterlife, if there was one, as a Time Lord he never believed in that stuff, he only believed in her. He knew that he would live on in her. As the pain became bearable enough to walk again, Rose came out the door. He pushed himself away from the wall and pulled her into a hug. He let her cry for a few moments, and then guided her back to the TARDIS. Rose had mentioned not having any reason to come back to earth, while they walked. The Doctor stopped and looked down at her sadly; there was no returning back to him either.

Rose looked up at him concerned. She wondered why this felt like goodbye. “Doctor what is wrong?” She asked looking up at him and cupping his cheek with her hand. He wouldn’t quite look her in the eye.

“Rose my love, I want to tell you that we will get into our TARDIS and go live our long lives together. I want to tell you that we will be together until the end. I can’t tell you that. I have something that I have to tell you, and as usual, stupid me, I waited until the last minute. He turned from her and unlocked the door, not able to look her in the face and see the hurt and pain he knew was there.

Rose watched him walk in wondering what he was going on about. She was going to live a long time, and he was going to have a longer then human life span. They had forever still; it had only been 40 years. She started to wonder if there was something wrong with the TARDIS, or if he was getting bored with her. She had many racing thoughts as she followed him into the TARDIS. The familiar hum of the TARDIS calmed her, though there was a bit of sadness too. The TARDIS would be losing her wolf too. 

“Where did he go?” Rose asked the TARDIS, and then followed the lights to the med bay where the doctor was sitting in a chair with tears running down his face. He didn’t want to send her away, he didn’t want to die. The latest results showed he had only a week to live. He looked up as Rose walked into the room. Why did this life have to be so unfair to the both of them? He knew the pain that his other self went through leaving his Rose her with him, he didn’t know if the pain of letting her go would kill him sooner. 

“Doctor, what is going on? Why are we in med bay?” Rose asked. She really did not want the answer, but she knew that whatever was going on was hurting the man she loved.

“Rose, I have something to say and a lot to explain. I will answer any and all of your questions when I am done. I really should have told you sooner. I just couldn’t let you go. I had the calculations done awhile ago. I just wanted to be with you as long as I could. I need you.” He pulled her down onto his lap and held her.


	4. Chapter 4

After a few minutes of holding her and gently kissing her forehead, he gently moved her off his lap and took her hand, drawing her over to the computer. “Rose, I figured out awhile ago that I was not going to live as long as I am supposed to. I didn’t know when we got here that this would happen. I thought this body was stable, but it isn’t. I have been dying since I got here. I could not bring myself to tell you.” He put his finger on Rose’s lip as she opened her mouth to talk. “I only have a few weeks left. I can’t leave you alone because of your headaches. They will slowly kill you. The cause of them is this universe, it doesn’t like you here. I am going to, I have already made a plan to save you. I have sent the information that the other me needs to come and get you. Between the two TARDIS’ we can create a transdimensional portal to have him come get you and get you into the right universe where he can protect you. 

Rose looked at him, in anger, in fear, and in sadness. She loved this him, much more now that he stayed with her, married her, and had a life with her. She still loved the other him he was her best friend and always would be. To her they were one person. But she had a life with this Doctor. This had been a bit of an issue between them, but she and he came to understand she would always love them both. But she wanted to stay with this one, to love him. 

She partially listened to the Doctor explain what was wrong. He showed her the medical records, both his and hers. He told her how he figured it out, what he needed to do to get her safe, and why he could never tell her before now, he kept talking afraid of what she would say when he stopped. When he finally stopped his gob, she looked up at him, straight in the eye. 

“Why did you not tell me before? Why did you not ask if I want to leave you? I don’t want to leave, I know I have to, but not until you are gone.” Rose said as she buried her head into his chest.

“Rose, my love,” the Doctor said as he held her against him. “I didn’t want to tell you because I wanted you happy and not worried all the time. Until I figure it out to get you home, I thought I was going to be leaving you all alone. I promised we would live our lives together. I can’t keep that promise. I did not ask if you wanted to leave, because you will not survive here. You will slowly and painfully die. You will live a long time that way. No one will be here to care for you. My stubborn, beautiful wife, I have to stay here to help get you and the Doctor back to where you belong. Trust me my love, I do not want to say goodbye either.” They both cried as they held each other, knowing there time was limited.

He did not tell her he had a way for the Doctor to pull him through too. He could live his last few days or weeks with her in the other universe. He himself was a stubborn old man, he couldn’t stand the thought of him watching her die, he loved her too much for that. “I put the plan into action we are just waiting for him to reply that he got the message and will be coming through.” He told her.

Rose looked at her beloved Doctor, all the years of feelings she had after the other Doctor had abandoned them here coming out. “What if he doesn’t want me? What if he forgot me?” She knew what her husband had told her that the Doctor did love her but had given her the life he thought he couldn’t. She thought she would never be sure he really did.

“Rose,” The Doctor took her hand and kissed the top of it. “He will never forget you. I know I was him.” He gently pulled her out of the med bay and down to their bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

The original Universe  
The Doctor had taken some time to wander after dropping of Donna with her family. He had no idea how long it had been, he gave up keeping track of time. He had saved any planet that needed him, but had yet to go back near earth, or the solar system it was in. Rose had not wanted him on his own; Donna had even once told him he needed someone to stop him. But all he wanted was his Rose, the one person he had loved with both of his hearts. The one person he had left with his other self, safe but never to see again. 

He knew he shouldn’t be alone, he knew he had almost gone too far several times. He seemed to have a bit of a death wish. What was life, he had wondered several times, if he didn’t get to be the one with Rose. But it was also the thoughts of Rose that had stopped him. He knew she would be hurt and upset if she ever found out. There was always a little thought in his head that maybe she would come back again, she always did the impossible. He knew she wouldn’t she was happy with the other him, with a normal life, a family, a happy life, something he couldn’t give her. Oh but he wanted to. He knew he was going a bit mad as he paced the control room.

He had been in the vortex for a few days, worried about Rose. He couldn’t figure out why he should be worried as the other him was with her and would do anything to keep her safe, as he would. He knew he was going to die, the Ood had told him his song was ending. He had started running, running as fast and as far as he could. He wasn’t ready to let go of this life, of Rose, he needed Rose, and she would help him. The TARDIS was trying to calm him, she had received a message that he needed to see, and her wolf was coming home.

To get her Time Lord’s attention she started up the screen with a beep. He heard himself talking and turned toward it. There was himself, the other one talking to him, giving him a lot of information. He missed the beginning and backed up the message. He wondered why his other self would be contacting him, how he figured out how to contact him. He was suddenly afraid before he hit start again, he did not see Rose, he prayed to the universe that his Rose was still alive. He hit play.

“Doctor, hey it is me, your better half.” The other Doctor said with a laugh. “It is time to have what you want and deserve, even if you do not believe it. You need to come get Rose, I am dying and this universe is slowly killing her. We have had a good forty years. We even got married. Now it is your turn, she still loves you. She needs you.”

“Forty years,” The Doctor thought to himself, “Rose would be in her 60s now.” His thought was interrupted by the message. “Rose hasn’t aged, not more than maybe a few years. By my testing she will live at least as long as you, if you are more careful with your regenerations. She lost her mum and her dad. Between us using both TARDIS’ we can create a hole for you to get through. You can bring me back too, I know you will figure that out, after all you are me, but you can’t. I won’t let her watch me die. I have been dying since I got here. You didn’t know and I forgive you. Rose has forgiven you for leaving her too. The rest of this message is the information you need to confirm you are coming and how and when to get through. Now let’s get this show on the road, I haven’t much time left.”

The Doctor watched the message again, and then sorted through the information that was sent with it. The guy was a genius, if he didn’t say so himself. He was a bit giddy as he was going to save Rose, but sad that Rose was going to lose her husband. For the first time in a long time the Doctor had a real smile on his face. He recorded his message back confirming that he would stick with the plan his other self had made. Soon, he would have his Rose back. He worried that she wouldn’t want to stay with him, after all he left her. He also really did not deserve her, or her love. He knew that by now the two Doctors were now different men with two different lives. For now he had hope, he quite liked hope.


	6. Chapter 6

In Pete’s World

After making love to Rose the Doctor feel asleep. Rose got up and slipped out to get some privacy. She needed a good cry. She did not want to say goodbye to the Doctor she had loved for forty years. She was angry at herself for not asking why he slept more, or why she would find him in med bay a lot. She thought he would tell her if something was wrong. She felt guilt because part of her was happy that she would get to see the other Doctor and know he was okay. She did not want to lose this one. The pain and the reality hit her and she started sobbing uncontrollably. Her husband was dying and she had to leave him. She didn’t want him to die alone, she promised this life, she wanted to stay tell the end of his. There had to be some way to get him across. She would ask the other Doctor when he got here. Today was just too much for her, she hugged herself and let the tears flow.

The Doctor found her still sitting in the library a few hours later. She was hiccupping from crying so hard for so long. “Rose, love, come here.” He said as he entered the room. She stood up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him as if she would never let him go.   
“I can’t say goodbye, I can’t let you die alone. This is not fair.” She whispered as she laid her head on his chest.

“My love, it has to be done. I promise that I won’t be here long without you. I have a plan for where me and the TARDIS will go. I will love you always my stubborn, stubborn girl. Just promise me that you will have a good life Rose, do that for me, have a fantastic life.” They held each other as they both cried, neither really wanting to say goodbye to the other. 

The TARDIS beeped at them to let them know that they had gotten a message. They slowly let go of each other. The Doctor looked down at Rose, “You will have your answer soon as to whether he wants you back, I already know his answer.” He took her hand and they walked slowly to the control room. 

Rose couldn’t believe this was happing, it was all so fast. He was sending her away again. This time she knew he had no choice, she was mature enough now to know and understand why. She knew that she would have to go. He was saving her, but why couldn’t he save himself.

In the control room the Doctor didn’t not let go of Rose’s hand as he used the other to type the command to start the message. He wasn’t anymore ready for this then Rose was. He had almost forty years of knowing, always running from this day. It was here and now. Ready or not time was up.

“Doctor and Rose, I have received your message. We will be able to set up for me to get to your universe with no problems. I have set the TARDIS to start the hole so that we will be able to stabilize it. I will meet you at the time and date that you requested. I will travel through as soon as it is safe. I am so sorry,” The Doctor said as he looked down. “I did not know that things would go this way. Rose, I am sorry that this happened; It is all my fault for sending you both away. I know it was wrong. I wanted to give you everything, and I hope I did through him. You had your mum and dad, and even that me.” The Doctor faltered. “I do not know what else to say, see you soon.”

Rose looked at her Doctor with a half happy, half sad smile, “He is still an idiot. It is not his fault. It is no one’s fault. He was right, we are happy.” She said putting her arm around him.  
The Doctor looked as his wife, “Rose, you have given me she best forty years a man could have, even a Time Lord. He didn’t want you to have to make you chose between us. I love you, I have been happy with you and I would do it all over again. He does love you Rose.”  
Rose held the Doctor a little tighter. “He isn’t you, but he is my best friend and I love him to. I hate saying that now, you are my husband. I understand I have to go back, I am not twenty anymore, I understand why I am going back and why he does what he does,” Rose replied back.


	7. Chapter 7

Pete’s World  
The Doctor and Rose spent the night curled up with each other. Neither was ready for what was soon to come. They needed every minute that they could spend together. The next morning Rose decided she really wanted to go to her mum and dad’s funeral. She really needed this closure with everything else going on. The Doctor text Tony to explain that they would attend but stay in the back while Rose went to get herself ready. She wore a black veil to hide her face. Rose had so many goodbyes at once that it was a bit overwhelming. Plus not knowing exactly when the goodbye to her husband would be was nerve racking. Even though she understood why she had to say goodbye, she would never be ready for it,

She made it through the funeral and was talking to Tony and his wife. The Doctor wandered off a ways to look at headstones. He had never really paid attention to tombstones or the people who lay underneath. As he was reading one, he heard someone come up behind him. Expecting it to be his wife he reached his hand out for hers.

“I really don’t think that you want to hold my hand.” A very familiar voice said. He looked over to see a man in almost the same dark blue suit, the color of mourning on Gallifrey. He knew that time had been short, now it was even shorter. He watched the other man in blue, this man would take away is love.

“You made it in one piece I see,” he said to his other self. Both of the men looked at each other with sadness in his eyes. One had to say goodbye to the love of their lives, and both knew the pain that it would bring. They stood there looking at the tombstone, both lost in thought.

“I am sorry,” The original Doctor finally said. “I never thought this would happen.” The other Doctor just nodded, neither of them did. Sorry did not fix it, but it was nice to know that the other him cared. The Doctors started talking about how long they could keep the hole open safely, and what would happen when he left. They made plans to leave in a day or two, giving Rose just a little more time. As the Doctors talked Tony asked Rose, “Does the Doctor have a twin?” 

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked over. He had come and the end was near. She watched them for a few minutes. From here it was hard to tell them apart. The original Doctor was not wearing his Janis Joplin coat. With the fact her husband had not aged in looks, since they had gotten here there really was no difference. As she watched she realized she knew who was who by their mannerisms, they were just a bit different after forty years. Her husband used to joke that it was a good thing he did not age as people might think he was Rose’s grandfather. They had laughed then.

Rose said her goodbyes to Tony and his wife. Yet another goodbye as she would never see her little brother again. She supposed the Doctor had told him what was going on as he hugged her tight and walked away with tears in his eyes. She turned at walked toward her favorite two people in this universe. They both turned toward her when they heard her coming up to them. She smiled at both of them with tears in her eyes. Her tears were both happy, for seeing the original Doctor, and sad for what was to come.

Both Doctors wrapped Rose in a hug. They stood like that for a few minutes. “We should be off to the TARDIS before someone notices us.” Her Doctor said, his counterpart nodding in agreement. Rose’s husband took her hand as the other Doctor took her other hand for their walk back to where they had parked both of the TARDIS’

When they got close to the two TARDIS’ they noticed that their newer TARDIS was a little different blue then the original. “New, new TARDIS,” Rose thought with a smile. They stopped in front of them and Rose asked, “Which one should we go into?” 

They decided to go into the original TARDIS. The Doctor had already packed Roses stuff; he did not want her to spend too much time in their TARDIS. It would be harder for her to leave, even harder for him to let her leave. He knew this day would come for a long, long time, but it would never get easier. They decided to settle in the library with some tea so that they could talk. They all sat on the long couch with Rose in the middle. She wasn’t ready to go; she sat on the couch not knowing what to do or what to say. The Doctors both watched her chew on her thumbnail.

“I see you still do that.” Her first Doctor said with a half smile. He knew this would be hard on her. He also knew that anything that she asked of him, he would do, short of leaving her there to die. He was wondering if she would ask if there was a way to bring her husband back. He would tell her the truth and do it if she asked. He never could say no to her. Rose looked at her thumb at back at her first Doctor. She didn’t like thinking of them as the original Doctor, her husband wasn’t a copy. It was her first Doctor and her husband.  
“How long do we have before we have to go? I know I have to leave, I am just not ready, not yet.” She stammered out. 

Her Doctor pulled her close to him, “We have figured out we have two days give or take. We are going to move the TARDIS’ to our house and park them while we get everything finished for the trip. We don’t have to say goodbye yet my love. I am not ready to watch you go either.”

Her first Doctor saw her tear up. He wondered to himself if he could really break her heart and take her away from the man she loved. He knew it would kill her if he didn’t, but he had hurt her so much already and he was afraid she may hate him for it. They separated to the different TARDIS’ and moved them to their house. They had bought a secluded home with a safe place to keep the TARDIS when visiting her parents. There were too many paparazzi around to take it to her mum’s place. Rose was heartbroken that the next time she got into the TARDIS it would be the old one and she would leave her husband.


	8. Chapter 8

Pete’s World  
They spent the next two days talking about what they all had been doing. It hadn’t been as long for the First Doctor as it had been for them. He didn’t tell them about the issues he had been having, though his other self seemed to know anyway. They talked about how long it took to grow the TARDIS, their life together and the many planets they had been to. When they moved to discuss the medical issues, of both Rose and her husband Rose started to tune them out. She really didn’t want to hear this all again. The Doctor’s got her attention when they started talking about the plan to leave. Rose was still having a hard time with it, but she was slowly getting used to the fact she had a short time before she had to leave.

When her husband had to sleep because of the pain Rose held him until he was asleep. She snuck out to go to talk to her first Doctor. She needed to ask him something really important to her. “Is there any way that we can bring him across too? I know he only has days left. I do not want him alone to die. I promised you both forever and I want to be there with him until he is gone.” She asked him with tears streaming down her face.

The Doctor looked at Rose and wiped away the tears. He never wanted to see her hurting this bad, he would do anything to help. “Yes I can. I have to tell you, he doesn’t want me to. I will do it for you. I will be here for you to help you get through this. I will give you the time I can with him. I know this is hard, I never wanted you to have to go through this.” He took her hand. “Rose, I never thought I would see you again. This is not the way that I wanted it to happen. You can stay with me as long as you want. I want to say more to you, but right now is not the time.” He pulled her to him and let her cry. 

After Rose finished crying they sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. The Doctor wondered if Rose would ever love him like she loved the other him and want to be with him, or if she would love her husband too much. He had so many regrets and he knew that this would his last chance, when and if Rose would be willing. Rose was wondering if the Doctor really wanted her back with him, or he had to because she would die otherwise. 

A few hours later the Doctor went to the galley to make them all something to eat. Rose went to check on her husband, he had slept an awful long time and she was worried about him. He was coming out of the med bay when she got into the hall.

Her husband seemed really upset when he came out, he grabbed her hand. “Rose, my love, my everything, we have to go sooner than I had hoped. I am so sorry, but once I die our TARDIS will start to shut down because she is connected to me, she will die with me. My scans are worse, you can’t get stuck here. I am so sorry. I love you.” He rambled out as he grabbed her to him. His time was coming fast he only had maybe a day or two left. His body was shutting down faster then he thought. 

They decided they would make dinner quick. The scans did not look good and both the Doctors worried about the new TARDIS keeping up the strength to get them through. Rose felt rushed, even though they had tried to prepare her; there just wasn’t the time she wanted. Her husband went to their TARDIS and brought Rose’s bags out. She took them and went to find her room so that the Doctors could talk. She was surprised to find that it was still there. She was not ready to go, but she was calmer now that she knew that her First Doctor would be bringing her husband through too. She was holding onto that as she walked back to the control room to say goodbye.

While Rose was out of the room the First Doctor told him that Rose had asked if they could bring him across too. He told him that he had told her the truth and not to be surprised that he came through too. “I can’t do that to Rose; we always think we know what is best for her. But she knows her own mind, she wants to stay tell the end. Do this for her.” 

Rose’s husband nodded, he couldn’t talk with the lump in his throat. He cleared his throat. “I know that you cannot say no to her, I could never do it either. I know we have a bad habit of trying to make decisions for her. I thought I had gotten over that, guess I didn’t. Promise me you will take care of her.”

The other Doctor replied, “I swear on our lives, I will take care of and protect our Rose to the best of my ability as long as I am alive.” The Doctors hugged. This was their goodbye too.

Rose came into the control room and saw them hugging. She stood there in shock. As they separated her husband held out his hand for her. “Rose, I love you so much. You have given me the best forty years of my lifes. You have been my hand to hold and I will always be grateful for that. I will always be in your memories. I may have to go, but I want to ask you to be his hand to hold. You have told me that you promised us both forever. You have given me mine, now give him his.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her to make up for the years they wouldn’t have. 

The Doctor was never good at goodbyes. He was having a hard time pretty much watching himself say goodbye to the woman they both loved. He turned away with tears in his eyes. This was breaking both his hearts to watch. He slowly programmed the TARDIS for the trip and to pull her sister TARDIS through.


	9. Chapter 9

Rose’s husband let go of her and walked to the door. He had to do this now or never. He knew the Doctor would pull him through. He did not have the heart to tell either of them that he probably wouldn’t be alive. He had been hiding his severe pain for hours. He was also starting to lose his sight. He hoped that they could get this done before he died. He turned and blew Rose a kiss.

She walked over to the jump seat and sat down with tears rolling down her cheeks. The Doctor flipped the switch to send them off and sat down next to her. “I am bringing him through Rose. I do not know how long he has left, he did not tell me. I am sorry you have to lose him. I am sorry I can’t do more.” He said as the TARDIS started to shake and she cried in his arms.

As soon as they landed they both ran to the door. The TARDIS’ were both suppose to land next to each other in Cardiff. The Doctor had a plan of his own to try and help his other self. When they got to the door of the TARDIS they both expected him to come out. Rose grabbed her key and opened the door. Why wasn’t he coming out she wondered.

The Doctor knew then what was wrong; he had hoped he wasn’t right. He had a feeling his other self would time it so when Rose left he would die right after. He himself knew the pain of leaving someone. When they got into the room Rose started screaming for her husband, kneeling down to be next to his body. The Doctor had hoped that he was wrong, he hated being right sometimes. He stood next to Rose with his hand on her shoulder. He did not know what else to do for her. The hum of the TARDIS was slowing down. Now that her Time Lord had died, so would she. 

“Rose,” The Doctor quietly said, “We need to take him to the other TARDIS, yours will start shutting down now and we need to get out. I am so sorry; let me take him over there.” Rose stood up and looked at him, she nodded. He was gone and she was broken. The Doctor took her into his arms for a hug. He was not sure she would want one, but she allowed him to hold her as she cried.

A knock at the door surprised Rose; no one was supposed to be able to see the TARDIS. She looked wide eyed at the door then the Doctor. He had contacted Jack when he found out about the situation. Jack was willing to help and came when he saw two TARDIS land. Jack came in and Rose ran to him crying. He held her as the Doctor lifted the other him to carry him to his TARDIS. When the door closed behind them, the TARDIS disappeared to a street corner somewhere, never to be noticed and to die, like the Time Lord she loved.

Jack carefully guided Rose, following the Doctor into the med bay. He hated seeing his Rosie like this. He hated knowing that she saw her husband die. He wondered how long it had been for her. For three days Rose would not leave her husband. She sat by the bed with both Jack and the Doctor bringing her food and checking on her. They both wanted to stay, but she insisted she needed to be alone. She was consumed by grief and couldn’t function. On the third day Rose stood up, kissed her husband goodbye and walked out of the room. Her husband had wanted her to live and she would, one day at a time.

The Doctor and Jack stopped talking when they heard Rose coming in. They both looked at her not sure what to say. They both hurt for her. They knew how she felt, they themselves had to go through this before and would have never wished for her to ever go through this. She would have many more years without him then with him. She walked up to the Doctor and took his hand. “I am ready to do what has to be done. I love him and I will miss him. We had a good life, he wanted me to go on and I will go on for him.”  
Jack pulled her into a hug. He would be there for as long as she lived, no one would stop him. She needed him as much as she needed the Doctor. “We have each other Rose, the three of us, you, me, and the Doctor. We will all live long lives and we will always have each other, we are not alone.” The three of them stood there in a hug for a long time.


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue  
5 years later  
Rose and the Doctor laughed as they ran into the TARDIS. They had to escape yet again from prison. “I swear Doctor all we do is get arrested, thought you were so impressive.” Rose said with a tongue in teeth smile.

The Doctor smiled at her, “I am so impressive.” 

“Well that was a first time for being arrested for that though.” She replied with a laugh.

He laughed with her. “I don’t remember this planet ever having a point where marriage wasn’t legal,” he said as he rubbed his neck.

They had laughed when they had been arrested for the first time. They had been arrested for being married, that was a new one for them. With a swift movement they were off into the vortex. “See if I go back there,” said the Doctor.

Rose never would forget her husband that she had loved for 40 years, she would always miss him. Life had to go on, especially since she had years and years ahead of her. Rose loved the Doctor and he loved her. They had worked through their loss, even though he was Rose’s husband he was part of the Doctor. 

Rose had realized after some time for mourning that she wanted that kind of relationship with the Doctor, the kind her and his other self had and knew that he wouldn’t ask. He worried she would not want to after her loss, and because he was afraid he wasn’t worthy of that kind of life. Rose took things into her own hands and one night she had requested that they travel to woman wept, knowing he could never say no to her. When they stood there, as they had so long ago, she got on bended knee and asked him to marry her. The Doctor had stood there in shock; he had never even kissed her before, not properly. But she knew him; she waited patiently for his answer. He sat and stared at her for several long minutes, and then he said yes. They had a hand fasting ceremony with Sarah Jane, her son, Jack, his team, Martha and Mickey in attendance. He hated looking back, but for Rose he went and retrieved them for the ceremony. He knew he would spend the rest of his life with her, she was his forever.

Later that night while Rose slept the Doctor watched her. He never thought he would get her back, let alone marry her. He knew Rose knew all about him, his other self had been truthful and had told her it all. He knew she loved them both and she always would. He had promised his other self that he would take care of her. Somehow his other self knew that this would happen one day as he had left a letter for the Doctor that he found, shortly before Rose asked him to marry her. He pulled it out of his pocket to read it again.

Dear Doctor, or Dear Self,

I know that Rose and you will marry some day. You can’t help it anymore than I could. We both love her; we are after all the same man. I know you will take care of her the same as I would. But there are a few things that I think you should know. You are not very good with understanding humans as much as you think that you do. Rose loves you with all her heart. Please don’t doubt that, we are the same man to her, she loved me because she loved you. Do not push her away, she needs you and I don’t mean in the lets be friends way. You will hug her and hold hands and you act like you are her boyfriend, trust me to a human that is a boyfriend. I know you love her, I know you want to be worth her, and I know you still feel unworthy. We are both worthy of Rose. She loves us unconditionally. Take what she has to offer you; you need it as much as she needs to give it to you. Have a good life and love her enough for the both of us.

Your other self


End file.
